Draftproofing your home reduces air infiltration which saves energy and lowers your heating and cooling bills. Steps include:

• Use a lit stick of incense to locate drafts in your home by watching where the smoke goes. This works particularly well on a windy day.
• Apply caulk and expanding foam to gaps and cracks around the perimeter of your house.
• Install foam gaskets around exterior plugs and switches
• Replace worn weather-stripping around doors and windows
• Check to see if the door sweep and threshold seal tightly at the bottom of the door.

Related posts:

• Easy Ways to Save Energy in Your Home
• How to Save Energy with Dimmer Switches and Motion Sensors
• (702) Four Step Energy Makeover: How to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

With the rising cost of gas and electricity, finding ways to cut back on your energy consumption is more important than ever. To help you cope, we’re taking a look at four great ways to make your home more energy efficient that are also eligible for the Federal Energy Efficiency Tax Credit by upgrading your heating and cooling system, water heater, windows, and attic insulation.

Home Energy Audit

Blower door test.

One of the best ways to find out how to reduce the amount of energy you use is by having an energy audit conducted on your home. Your local utility provider will often conduct the audit at no cost, or you can hire a private company.

Tests conducted include installing a blower in an exterior door to create negative air pressure inside the house. A smoke pencil and infrared photography are then used to identify areas of air movement and infiltration. Similar tests on the heating and cooling system are used to detect air leaks in the ductwork, which on average account for a 25% to 40% loss in conditioned air in your home.

Once the tests have identified problem areas in walls, around windows and doors, in the attic, and in the heating and cooling system, steps are then taken to seal up any cracks or gaps to make the house tighter and more energy efficient.

Heating & Cooling

In addition to sealing up ductwork, consider replacing an older HVAC unit with a newer, more energy efficient model that has a higher Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER).

Danny discusses water heaters with actor and environmentalist Ed Begley, Jr.

Water Heaters

Heating water accounts for approximately 13% of the total energy usage in a home. Replacing an inefficient hot water heater with a new high efficiency model can save up to $300 a year on your utility bills. Energy efficient models include:

• Solar water heaters
• Heat pump water heaters
• Tankless water heaters
• High efficiency tank water heaters like the Vertex from A. O. Smith.

Windows Replacement

Up to 50% of the heating and cooling loss in older, existing homes is due to heat loss and gain through the glass in single pane windows and air infiltration in the weather stripping around the sash. While you can replace the entire window unit, JELD-WEN Windows and Doors also offers sash packs that retain the existing window frame while replacing just the sash and balance tracks on each side. The new sash have double pane glass with a low-E coating—to make them very energy efficient—set in a low maintenance, vinyl covered frame.

Insulation

Adding more insulation to your attic is one of the best and most economical ways to increase the energy efficiency of your home and reduce utility bills. A common, inexpensive solution is to install batts or blow in fiberglass or cellulose insulation on top of the existing insulation in your attic. Another option that is gaining in popularity, is to spray expanding foam insulation between the rafters and wall studs.

Spaying foam between the rafters prevents heat from entering your attic and allows your HVAC system to perform more efficiently. While more expensive than traditional insulation, foam has a higher insulation R-value and seal out air infiltration better than fiberglass or cellulose.

Other Tips from This Episode

Related posts:

• Home Energy Audit Finds Ways to Save Energy
• Ten Tips to Keep Your Home Energy Efficient
• (687) Small Town Green: Building an Energy Efficient Home

Old doors can be reused for a number of home improvement projects, including headboards for beds and dividers in a room. Here’s how you can convert an old door into a writing or computer desk complete with bookshelves and coat rack.

Desk Materials List:

We used a 30” wide door, but you can make the desk from whatever width door is available. If you don’t have a leftover door, you can buy a used one at a salvage yard or reuse store.

• 1 – 30” door
• 1 – 18” x 30” cabinet grade plywood (desktop)
• 2 – 7” x 30” cabinet grade plywood (bookshelves)
• 2 – 2” x 6” x 24” lumber (support feet)
• 2 – 9” x 11” premade wood brackets (desktop supports)
• 4 – 5” x 7” premade wood brackets (bookshelf supports)
• Coarse, medium, and fine grit sandpaper
• Auto body filler
• Primer and paint

Making a Desk from a Door:

• Remove old hinges and lockset from door.
• Fill hinge mortises and lockset holes with auto body filler.
• Hand plane the filler flush with the door.
• Sand the door smooth (wear respirator approved for lead paint and sand outside to prevent lead contamination).
• Cut the desktop and shelves to size.
• Rout a pattern on the bottom of three sides of the desktop and shelves.
• Attach shelf brackets to the bottom of the desktop and shelves.
• Attach desktop and shelves to door using glue, nails, and screws.
• Cut support feet to length and round corners and edges
• Attach support feet to door edges with nails and screws.
• If desired, attach a coat rack or hooks to the back of door.

      Patch holes in door.             Attach brackets.                     Attach base.

Related posts:

• (690) Trash to Treasure: Reuse Projects for Your Home
• How to Protect a Garage Door from Storm Damage

I have French doors to my patio. A pebble shot from my string trimmer and shattered the outer pane of glass only. The back pane is fine. Do I have to buy both panes, or can I just fix the one that is broken? -Gary

Hi Gary,

When one pane of insulated glass breaks, you have to replace the entire piece, since the space between the panes is filled with an inert gas (usually argon) then sealed to keep moisture from forming between the panes.

You can order insulated replacement glass from a glass supply store or the company that made your window or door. You will need to supply the dimensions (including thickness) of the glass, as well as any special coatings—such as low-E—that were on it.

If there is a name and number of the manufacturer on the glass, include that information as well. Glass doors require tempered glass, which is much stronger than regular glass.

Good luck with your project,

Related posts:

• Installing Window Film on Insulated Glass
• Installing Storm Windows on Insulated Glass
• How to Select Insulated Windows

We have double pane windows and are thinking about installing storm windows in front of them. Would that be a cost efficient way to save on our energy bills? -Jessica

Hi Jessica,

While you could add storm windows to your existing double pane windows, the energy savings would not be nearly as great as installing them over single pane windows.

When used over single pane glass in colder climates, storm windows can reduce heating costs by 13% and pay for themselves in 10 years. If a low-E coating is applied to the storm window, the savings increase to over 20%, with payback in less than 5 years.

Since you already have insulated glass windows, the payback period would be much longer in your case.

To increase the energy efficiency of your existing windows, be sure the sash are a tight fit in the casing and the weather stripping around the window blocks air infiltration. If you decide to install storm with a low-E coating, make sure it is the proper type for your climate.

Good luck with your project,

Related posts:

• Installing Window Film on Insulated Glass
• How to Select Insulated Windows
• How to Keep Harmful Sunlight from Coming Through Windows

Natural light in homes can have a positive influence on our mood while reducing the energy used by artificial lighting. Take advantage of natural lighting during daylight hours to brighten up your home by installing mirrors in strategic locations so they will reflect sunlight to other parts of the room. In rooms with little or no natural light, consider installing tubular skylights in the ceiling to provide an energy efficient source of natural light.

Related posts:

• Advantages of Tubular Skylights in Your Home
• How to Install Recessed Lighting in an Existing Ceiling
• LED Outdoor Solar Lighting

Drowning in utility bills?

JELD-WEN Windows and Doors can provide relief!

Watch this video from Danny to find out more.

Enter the JELD-WEN Utility Bill Bailout for a chance to win an entire window and door makeover for your home. The winning home will also be featured on an upcoming episode of Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford®.

To enter, click on the button below and submit your highest utility bill, along with the size of your home, the number of doors and windows, and why it’s important that your home becomes more energy efficient.

The JELD-WEN Utility Bill Bailout contest runs from August 6, 2009 through January 29, 2010.

©2009 JELD-WEN, inc.; JELD-WEN, the JW icon, AuraLast and Reliability for real life are trademarks or registered trademarks of JELD-WEN, inc., Oregon, USA. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Related posts:

• Ten Tips to Keep Your Home Energy Efficient
• JELD-WEN Custom Carved Interior Doors
• How to Claim the Federal Homebuyer Tax Credit for New Homeowners

I have several windows that receive a lot of sun in the afternoon. What’s the best way to keep the heat and sunlight out while still being able to see outside? -Joan

Hi Joan,

UV rays and solar heat from windows can damage furniture and fabrics and increase air conditioning bills. To prevent this from happening, consider installing special window film on the inside of your glass that blocks UV and solar heat. Window film comes in various tints, just be sure the one you get blocks both UV rays and heat.

DIY-friendly window film is available at home centers, or you can have it professionally installed. If your windows have double pane glass, check with the window manufacturer first to be sure installing window film won’t damage the glass or void your warrenty.

Another option is to replace your existing windows with insulated, Low-E glass. When purchasing replacement windows, choose the recommended glass and Low-E coating for your particular climate.

Good luck with your project,

Related posts:

• Installing Window Film on Insulated Glass
• How to Select Insulated Windows
• Save Energy with Window Film

Our front door is galvanized metal and the paint is popping off. What is the correct way to remove the old paint and repaint it? -Byrnes

Hi Byrnes,

If the door is peeling badly, you may need to use a stripper to remove all the paint. If only a few places are causing problems, you can probably get by scraping and lightly sanding the door to remove any loose or peeling paint.

Next, wipe down any bare metal with white vinegar to etch the surface and improve adhesion. You may also need to clean the door with a degreaser if the metal is oily as discussed in our article on How to Paint Galvanized Metal.

Next, prime any bare spots with a latex primer designed for use on galvanized metal, then topcoat the door with a high quality, exterior acrylic latex paint. Since darker colors absorb more heat, which can lead to peeling, you might want to stick with a lighter shade.

Good luck with your project,

Related posts:

• How to Paint Galvanized Sheet Metal, Gutters, or Valley Tin
• Paint and Primer in One Can
• How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets

Why won’t my interior door stay completely open? When I open it, it always moves to a half open position and will not stay fully open. -Larry

Hi Larry,

The reason your door won’t stay open is probably that the door frame, or the wall it’s attached to, was installed slightly out of plumb. While there’s no easy fix for the framing, there are a couple of ways to keep the door where you want it.

First, remove one of the hinge pins, bend it slightly with a hammer, then tap it all the way back into the hinge. This will increase the friction in the hinge joint and prevent the door from moving as easily.

If bending one pin doesn’t do the trick, try bend the other ones as well. Watch our video on Hinge Pin Door Repair to see how to go about it.

Another option is to install a special door stop with a magnetic or friction catch that attaches to the door. When you open the door all the way, the stop engages the catch to hold the door fully open.

Good luck with your project,

Related posts:

• How to Open a Paint Stuck Window
• How to Adjust a Pneumatic Door Closer